Tobias Jeg (Red Scare Industries)
What are your top five albums that were released in 2024? (In order 1-5)
I say it every year and I’ll say it again: Red Scare puts out my favorite albums, so I’m biased towards the new music from Broadway Calls, Arms Aloft, Sludgeworth, and all the new songs on the 20 Years of Dreaming and Scheming collection. But I won’t dodge your question! Here’s 5 good songs from 2024 in no particular order:
- Rixe - Tir Groupé
- X - Sweet Til The Bitter End
- Die Verlierer - Fickt diese Stadt
- Scratch Perry - Green Banana
- The Chisel - Bloodsucker
Honorable mention to Post Malone for having the dumbest/best album title of the year. Fuggit, here’s 5 good songs from 2023 too, while we’re at it:
- Worriers - "Trust Your Gut"
- The Menzingers - "Try"
- Olivia Rodrigo - "get him back!"
- MxPx - "Excuse My French"
- Sincere Engineer - "California King”
What band did you discover in 2024 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? How so?
I got to see Bar Dust in NYC! They’re a Pogues cover band outta Philly (with members of Modern Baseball and The Menzingers) and they do a very tasteful tribute. I also finally got to see Brooklyn’s Tired Radio. Everyone loves those dudes and their new songs sound good. I also saw a band called Rancoeur in an oyster bar that blended French Oi! with Joy Division. They were pretty rockin'. Oh, I discovered that they did a MUSICAL episode on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. That counts, right?
Trini Lopez is one of my jukebox faves, and I "discovered" this video of him playing for some UCLA kids 70 years ago:
How will you remember 2024 (in terms of music)?
I think those ska bands died? The ones who scolded everyone about everything? I dunno, seems like they’ve gone away. Trust me, we know a thing or two about fading relevancy. ANYHOW, in 2024 we celebrated Red Scare’s 20th anniversary with a comp that had new songs from Cobra Skulls, Dead To Me, The Menzingers, Laura Jane Grace, The Falcon… lotsa jams. That was a ton of work, but the compilation came out great and it was the first time Rolling Stone ever covered anything we did. Yay? We put together some showcases in Chicago and Vegas and everywhere in between. In the words of Monty Python and the Holy Grail: there was much rejoicing.
What can we look forward to from you in 2025?
I know Elway and Sam Russo are cooking up new shit. I think The Brokedowns are too? Sludgeworth has music in the can… There’s Good Friend working on tunes in Ireland… I wanna do something with The Methadones… what else? A couple years ago Fat Mike said he would give us a song for a split with NOFX and the F.U.s, and I’m gonna hold him to that! If I write about it here, does that mean it will happen? Let’s find out!
What records are you looking forward to most in 2025?
Uhhh, see above!
I looked at a list for 2025 and there was Eric Clapton and Buckcherry and a buncha Pitchfork crap. I know Sub Pop is re-issuing The Gits stuff, so that rules, but it looks like ONCE AGAIN Red Scare is going to be tasked with the job of bringing you the best music. It’s our cross to bear…
How do you try to get your news to fans as media platforms and algorithms change?
Ugh, THIS bullshit. Ya know, when Red Scare started we were a pretty tech-forward operation, but I just don’t see how you can keep up with this stuff in any sorta dignified manner. Every morning I make a list of tasks, and I have to literally *write down* “Check IG” and I still rarely look at that damn thing. But alas, we scream into the void and post on all the platforms like every other flock of dickheads. If anyone out there has any ideas or wants to help, I am all ears. Until then, I am gonna keep on thinking that a million people will see our ad in Razorcake.
One last thing: a new year means we need to be cognizant of the world around us and check in. Maybe they can find peace in the Levant and maybe the Russian invaders fuck off back to their homes. Fingers crossed. Take care of your friends/family, and good luck out there!
Tobias Jeg – social media links
- Twitter: @RedScareToby
- Instagram: @RedScareToby
